


Presents

by JJLives



Category: Glee
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:47:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25529905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJLives/pseuds/JJLives
Summary: One Shot. Brittany has trouble wrapping presents and Santana helps. Fluffy Christmas Eve Special.
Relationships: Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Kudos: 59





	Presents

_ Why is it not working? _

I try again, folding the paper slowly, matching it up before creasing it. I sit up and observe my handiwork.

_ It sucks. _

I push the paper away from me angrily and cross my arms. I know I probably look like a child, pouting and glaring at inanimate objects but it's their fault. Why won't they just cooperate? The paper’s been folded again and again so much it looks crumpled and I know even if I do finally get it right it'll turn out a wrinkled mess, not pretty.

My eyes take in the room and from my vantage point sitting on the floor the Christmas tree and the already wrapped presents are in perfect view. Those presents look pretty, but why wouldn't they, Santana wrapped them. They look like a professional packaged them and when I turn back to the simple box I'm trying to wrap I feel tears start to burn the back of my eyes.

It's never going to look as nice as hers. But this is her present, it should look at least as good as the other ones, if not better.

I tug the box and paper closer to me and reassess the damage. The paper is definitely ruined. I crumple it up and toss it in a small pile of previously inadequate pieces. I grab the roll and pull some of the paper out and cut it, making sure to keep the line straight and place the box on top once it's free from the roll. I wrap the paper around the box a few times and tape it down and start on the corners. They still won't work. She's shown me this a bunch of times, why can't I remember how to do it?

After a few more failed attempts I'm even more frustrated. I think of how disappointed she's going to be when I hand her an ugly or unwrapped present in the morning. I feel the tears slowly glide their way down my cheeks and I don't even stop them. What's the point?

I haven't realized how long I've been trying to wrap the present until I hear rattling keys in the lock of the apartment door. I glance around me and panic. She can't see her present like this! I have just enough time to lift the paper I'm trying to use and cover the box before the door opens and Santana walks in.

"Hi," I say with a smile. She returns it as she closes and locks the door. 

She's carrying grocery bags and it's quite the show to watch how she maneuvers the bags to drop her keys on the top of the table we have sitting by the door. It reminds me that I still have my keys in my pocket. I have a habit of forgetting to put them on the table when I get home, it ends up with me losing them and Santana always seems to be the one to find them.

She walks to the kitchen area, which is pretty much in the living room because the apartment is quite small. But it's a one bedroom and really it's all the two of us need, even if Santana complains about the lack of closet space. She sets the bags on the counter and turns to me with a wide grin.

"Hey," she finally greets me, stepping closer.

Her smile disappears and I immediately look around me at the mess. Crap! I was supposed to have the place cleaned up when she got home and I only made it more of a mess. I open my mouth to start apologizing but her voice beats me to it. I get prepared for a lecture about time and how we’re running out before the gang gets here tomorrow morning and how many things she still has to check off her list. 

But instead… "Why are you crying?" I open my mouth to deny it but when I lick my lips I taste salt. "Oh Britt, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I try to say convincingly but my throat is hoarse and I can tell she doesn't believe me. She takes another step towards me and I'm worried she'll see her present. "No!" I practically yell at her and hold up my hand to stop her approach. Her face falls and I realize I've hurt her; I never meant to do that. "That's not what I meant," I hurry to fix it. "It's not that I don't want you near me because I do, I always do. You know that." Her shy smile comes out at that comment and I smile back, liking that I have that effect on her. "It's just-" I look down at the covered box in front of me "I don't want you to see your present."

She looks down and notices the box covered with a sheet of shiny wrap. "Oh!" She stands upright and takes a step back. "I can go take a shower and leave you to finish. I'll get my welcome home kiss later."

She winks and a picture of her naked body in the shower flashes through my mind. I wish I could surprise her by joining her, but that would mean I'd have to finish wrapping her present before she gets out and at the rate I've been going I'll be lucky to finish wrapping this by the morning.

"Don't bother, I can't do it. It's too hard and it keeps looking stupid when I try." I don't meet her eyes this time.

"What did we say about that word? And is this why you were crying?"

I wipe the rest of the moisture from my face with the sleeve of my shirt and nod, still keeping my eyes on the paper in front of me.

"I'm sure it looks just fine."

"It has to be better than just fine, though."

"Why, the presents from you to me right?" I nod. "Then I'll love it whether it's wrapped in gold or a grocery bag."

"But it has to be perfect!"

"Britt...why?"

"Because it's our first Christmas together."

"It's not-"

"I mean first real Christmas. Like, as grown-ups and living together and just  _ us _ ." I look up and see her sad smile at me. "We're going to wake up and exchange gifts and I want yours to be as perfect as you are."

"Britt, it'll be perfect either way but if you want it to look perfect, by others standards because I love your wrap jobs, then why not ask Berry or someone else for help?"

I sigh and lean my head back into the couch my back is resting against. "Because I want to do it."

She's silent for a couple minutes. "Let me help then."

"No, you can't see it until tomorrow!"

"Keep it covered," she commands and kneels beside me. "Scoot forward."

I do as she says and feel her take up the empty spot behind me. Her jean covered legs spread out on either side of me and I reach with both hands to squeeze her legs right above her knees. She wraps her arms around me and hugs me from behind while resting her chin on my right shoulder. I make sure the present is still covered from her view as I feel her lips on my exposed shoulder, my shirt sleeve must have fallen down my arm without me knowing.

"Now what?" I ask. "How are you going to help without seeing the present?"

"I'll close my eyes."

"But-"

"Just trust me, Britt."

I sigh again but decide to do as she tells me to. She's never steered me wrong before.

"Okay, now uncover the box, and put it on top of the paper so we can do this."

I pause, "are your eyes closed?"

"Yes."

"And you won't peak?"

She laughs but moves her head from resting on my shoulder to placing her forehead against the back of my neck. "There now even if I open my eyes I can't see anything."

"Okay."

I uncover the box and Santana keeps her word, keeping her head resting against the back of my neck. I place the box on the paper and tell Santana it's ready. She reaches forward blindly and I guide her hands to the box. She folds the paper around the box and then let's the paper drop while she centres it. She folds up the sides but stops.

"The paper isn't big enough Britt. You need a bigger piece."

"Again? Ugh, I'm hopeless."

"No you're not. Here, where's the roll?"

I grab it after tossing the too small piece in the pile with the other rejects and unravel some paper. "How much do I need?"

She reaches for the box and sets it lengthwise on the unraveled paper. She lifts the one free end and moves the box to one side a few inches and lifts the paper up against the box again.

"The ends have to come up to half way on either end or else you're going to have spaces like before."

"I forgot that rule." I grumble.

She lifts her head and I automatically go to cover the present but all she does is kiss the back of my neck and rest her head back down like it was before. I relax back into her a little.

Santana moves the roll some and then tells me to cut along the rolls edge. I do as I'm told and tell her when that's done.

"You wanted to do this right?"

"Yeah."

She grabs each of my hands in hers and makes me lift the box into the center of the paper. She tells me to lift the ends to make sure they come up evenly on either side. I do as I'm told and she follows my movements with her own hands. Once I'm positive the box is exactly center I tell her. She tells me to roll the box up into the paper. Knowing how to do this part so I finish that quickly. She double checks my work before she tells me to tape the paper down.

Once done she turns the present so the one end is facing me and then grabs my hands. She guides my fingers into making the proper folds and tells me where and when to use tape but never touches the actual present until I'm done. She follows the creases with her own fingers when I say I'm done and I feel her smile between my shoulder blades.

"Now do the same to the other end." She says as she returns her hands to my waist, hugging me again. I do the other side myself and it takes me a little longer without her fingers to guide me but once I'm done both sides look identical and the corners are sharp and the papers not wrinkled or bubbled up in spots. It looks just like hers sitting under the tree.

I tell her I'm done and she moves to rest her chin on my shoulder again.

"It's perfect." She says.

"Not yet, but I can do the bows and ribbon myself." I turn so that I can see her. "Thank you." I tilt my head and capture her lips with my own. "Welcome home, by the way." I smile and she does the same before leaning forward and kissing me again.

"You're good?" She asks.

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'm going for a shower then. I gots ta wash the subway off of me. Blech!"

I nod my head and reach for a shiny green bow out of the box beside me. I feel her eyes on me once she's weaselled herself out from behind me and is standing again. I look up once the bows in the perfect spot and find her smiling at me again.

"You're smiling a lot."

"That's because you make me very happy." She says matter-of-factly.

It gives me butterflies, but I shoo her towards the bathroom anyway. It takes me a few more minutes of leaning over the small box before I'm completely satisfied with my work. I finish writing on the sticker tag before straightening my spine. I groan, leaning against the couch as spasms wrack my back from being crouched too long. I close my eyes and listen to the sounds around me. I can hear the cars driving by a few stories below us and there is faint music coming from Mrs. Drake's next door. The only other noise I hear is coming from the bathroom. I hear the shower running before I remember my previous thoughts about joining Santana.

I open my eyes and jump to my feet. I quickly pick up Santana's present and set it carefully under the tree with the rest, right beside the one marked to me from her. I can't wait to exchange gifts in the morning before the others come.

I take one last look at the tree and presents before reaching down and lifting my shirt above my head. I throw it on the couch and make my way down the hall to join my girlfriend in the shower.

Time for some fun.


End file.
